Tarte for True Blood Natural Cheek Stain

Several weeks ago, I purchased the Tarte for True Blood Natural Cheek Stain in Sephora in the US. I used to own most of Tarte's cheek stains in the original formula (before they were revamped to include the T5 Super Fruit Complex) but didn't really like to use them in Singapore's humid weather. Plus they tended to get messy with age, so I cleaned them out from my stash.


When I saw the True Blood cheek stain in Sephora, the combination of the succulent bright crimson shade glistening with gold sparkles and the sleek black packaging was irresistible. Helped by Sephora's instore lighting, I was instantly "glamoured", so to speak.

The cheek stain is protected by a clear plastic cap which comes in handy when you want to push down the cheek stain after using it. To expose the cheek stain, you just need to push it up from the bottom of the tube. But given how little you need to use for one application, you can probably go a few weeks without needing to push it up even with daily usage.

When swatched on my hand without blending, it is a translucent watermelon red with a bit of shine and quite a fair amount of gold micro glitter bits. (Click the pic to view it in full size).


When blended out on the hand, the micro glitter bits are still very visible. This will immediately put off many ladies who are glitter-phobes and I have read reviews ranting about the glitter in this cheek stain. I'm also not a fan of glitter on the cheeks but I've learned that swatches on the hand are not always an accurate reflection of how a product will apply on the face. The method of application, the other products used over or under one product and one's skintype all affect the final appearance.

The cheek stain gives a healthy, sheer pop of reddish pink colour to my cheeks. I can hardly see the micro glitter bits unless I look really closely in the mirror. I think one reason for that is that you really need to dab only a very tiny amount of it with your fingertip for it to show up on the cheeks, whereas when I swiped the cheek stain across the back of my hand, a lot more product ended up on my hand.

The cheek stain dries down nicely without feeling sticky. I've used it over both liquid foundations and the Body Shop Extra Virgin Minerals Loose Powder Foundation without any problems. It lasts about 6-8 hours on me. At US$30, the paraben-free cheek stain is pricey for a product that has an official shelf life of only six months but still, I like it.

For today's look, I also used Anna Sui Protective Foundation Primer L under the Body Shop Loose Powder Foundation, Fred Farrugia Eyeshadow #27, #34 and #37 over Lunasol Shining Ocean Eyes EX03, K-Palette Real Lasting Eyebrow 01, Tarte LipSurgence in Sweet, Sleek Luminaire L02, Stila Sparkle Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in Sequins and Benefit They're Real! Mascara.


On the eyes, I used the aubergine shade from Fred Farrugia Eyeshadow #27 (shown above) on the inner half of the upper lid and the metallic grey on the outer half, with the metallic baby blue from #34 along the lower lashline, the white shade from #37 over the browbone area and the grey silver shade from #10 above the crease.

Fred Farrugia has a mind-boggling array of shimmery, metallic shades. They look incredibly rich on the store display and swatch quite well. However, I was surprised when it took quite a bit of effort to pick up some of the shades with my brushes. Nevertheless, they wore well over more than 13 hours without creasing.

I like how nifty and compact the Fred Farrugia module system is. In my self-assembled palette, there are 8 powder eyeshadows weighing 0.05oz each (same as a MAC eyeshadow), a blush (0.15oz) and a mirror on the bottom module.

Operation Use It Up

It seems like the months are just flying by, the closer that we get to the end of the year. Pretty soon, we'll be into the final quarter of 2011 and the avalanche of glittering holiday collections. Those are are always interesting to see (I'm looking forward to the new Meteorites by Guerlain!), plus they are followed very quickly by the spring collections.

Anyway, these are the products that I've managed to use up from my stash this month:

1. Kate Somerville ExfoliKate: This was awfully pricey at US$85 and annoyingly, the pump mechanism was broken from the start, but the pot was easy to open. It works well as an exfoliating treatment without being too abrasive but it does sting, so sensitive skintypes may want to stay clear of it. It now comes in a much more sensible squeeze tube and in three versions: Gentle, Intensive and Acne Clearing. I may re-purchase this in the future but probably only when there is a discount or attractive gift with purchase.

2. Daiso Puff/Sponge Detergent: A very thoughtful gift from a friend, this quickly became a weekly staple for thoroughly cleaning my foundation sponges. Now, I also use it in place of MAC Brush Cleanser sometimes to clean my brushes. It works faster than MAC Brush Cleanser for cleaning liquid foundation off brushes. And the price (S$2) is unbeatable! The only problem is finding it in stock at Daiso.

3. Lucido-L Designing Pump Hair Jelly (Swing Keep): This helped to keep my hair manageable but I'm not sure I like it enough to re-purchase it.

4. Jurlique Purifying Foaming Cleanser: I purchased this when it was on 50% discount at Robinsons. The usual retail price of S$64 is way too exorbitant for what is basically just an average foaming cleanser, albeit one that contains many essential oils. You're probably better off spending on a moisturiser or serum that will stay on your skin longer than the cleanser. I wouldn't re-purchase this because of the price tag, plus the cleanser tends to get caught inside the cap and turns into a gooey mess around the pump.

5. Paul & Joe Body Mask: I liked the orange flower scent of this body mask, and how it left my skin soft and smooth. Paul & Joe Singapore likes to give this away under their members' rewards programme, which is how I ended up with 3 tubes of it. I think it has since been discontinued as it is no longer listed on the Paul & Joe website. The tube lasted about 5-7 uses.

6. Lancome Bi-facil: This works well for removing most eye makeup, but not for the most stubborn of waterproof mascaras. I still prefer Cleansing Express Eye Makeup Remover which is much cheaper and just as effective.

7. Benefit Refined Finish Facial Polish: Love the refreshing melon-y scent of this! The scrubby bits provide good exfoliating action without feeling too abrasive or sharp, and left my skin feeling extra smooth. I would purchase this.

8. H2O+ Raspberry Guava Body Butter: This absorbed very easily without any greasy feeling on the skin. It has a light sweet raspberry scent that isn't too cloying.

9. Crabtree & Evelyn Nantucket Briar Shower Gel: This was just an average shower gel for me as the scent wasn't that special.

10. L'Oreal Smooth Intense Smoothing Conditioner: I purchased this in India after seeing that it contained argan oil, so it might not be available in other countries. It worked well on my dry hair and left it free of tangles.

11. Dove Damage Therapy Intensive Repair Treatment Mask: This was a free sample pot that came with a recent issue of Her World. It was enough for three uses, and left my hair feeling soft and easy to manage.

Benefit They're Real Mascara Review

After reading numerous reviews of Benefit They're Real! mascara, I decided to purchase it yesterday to see how well it would work on my Asian lashes.

They're Real! promises to lengthen, curl, volumize, lift and separate the lashes with a specially designed brush with long and short spikes, including at the end of the wand. The tip of the wand is supposed to help lift, define and curl even the tiniest of lashes, while the staggered bristles along the body of the wand grab the lashes close to the root for building maximum volume.

The brush is fat like Cover Girl Lash Blast and comes out of the tube without much product on it. The mascara fluid is distributed very evenly without any messy gobs. It is only at the end of the wand that you see a bit more product between the bristles. At first, I was worried that the formula would be too dry but as it turns out, it applied smoothly to my lashes.

The application instructions.

Pic of my lashes after using my MAC eyelash curler.

I found that They're Real! builds volume and length very easily with just a couple of strokes. If layered excessively, my lashes start to stick together but the wand turned out to be quite good at separating the lashes again. It also holds the curl of my lashes pretty well, but I wouldn't say that it actually curled and lifted them up. Using an eyelash curler beforehand is still essential for me.

After it dries, my lashes still feel soft. I like the jet black shade, which gives my lashes great definition. There was also no flaking or smudging on me.

The fat wand wasn't the best for coating the sparse, skimpy lashes along my lower lashline. The spiky bristles tended to poke the skin. It's not painful but it's not a comfortable feeling. In comparison, the Anna Sui Perfect Mascara or Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara are much easier to use on my lower lashline.

Another before-and-after comparison.

Overall, I think They're Real! is a good volumising mascara that does a decent job of holding the curl of even stubborn straight Asian lashes. I don't think it will make you look like you are wearing false eyelashes unless you already have long, thick lashes to start with.

The mascara retails at S$42 in Singapore, versus US$22 in the US (about S$26.60) and £18.50 in the UK (S$36.80), 22.5€ in France (S$39).

For today's look, I used my new Fred Farrugia eyeshadows over Too Faced Shadow Insurance, Fred Farrugia powder blush #2, Sleek Luminaire L02, RMK Irresistible Lips B #28 Rose, Jill Stuart Jelly Lip Gloss #102 Silky Pink, Stila Sparkle Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in Sequins and K-Palette Real Lasting Eyebrow #1.


The Paul & Joe Creamy Powder Foundation SPF18 PA++ is a sample that was included in the most recent issue of Baila, a Japanese magazine. The foundation is set to be launched in September. The shade 102 Nude (which is the 3rd lightest of 7 shades) looks alright on my MAC NC20/25 skintone but 101 Cameo will probably be a better match. It was quite easy to apply with the sponge and then blend with fingertips for a seamless finish with sheer to medium coverage. The velvety finish makes the skin look healthier and more even-toned in a natural way.

However, like most cream-to-powder foundations, it proved to be unsuitable for my oily skintype. My skin felt slightly sticky right after application and started to look shiny after just an hour. The sticky feeling does diminish after some time but it still doesn't feel like a normal powder foundation. This would work much better for dry skintypes. For oily skintypes, the Paul & Joe Fluid Foundation S will work much better.

Guerlain Écrin 4 Couleurs - Swatches

For this fall, Guerlain has launched a new series of Écrin 4 Couleurs palettes, replacing their previous quads. The new quads retail at US$59 in the US, which is a hefty chunk of change but quite a bit easier on the pocket compared to the Écrin 6 Couleurs (US$84). I'm not sure of the price for Singapore but the previous quads retailed at around S$82.

There are 9 new quads in total, each containing eyeshadows in matte, satin, metallic and iridescent finishes. My first impression is that the Écrin 4 Couleurs are definitely an improvement over the previous range, which tended to be of uneven quality. The wider, flat pans make it easier to pick up the shades. They also offer a much more interesting range of shade combinations than the Écrin 6 Couleurs (which were dominated by neutrals, taupes, beiges and greys) while remaining very wearable and more portable, thanks to the sleek gold compact packaging.

The pic above was taken in direct sunlight, while the pic below was taken in the shade so the eyeshadows look more muted. (Do click on the pics to view them in full size.)

The texture of the metallic shades was truly impressive, with an almost molten velvety feel. Think MAC Veluxe Pearl but even more rich and luxurious. The mattes, for the most part, swatched quite smoothly. The level of colour payoff does vary amongst the shades, with the iridescent shades tending to be the most sheer.

01 Les Violets

02 Les Bleus and 09 Les Noirs

03 Les Verts

04 Les Bois de Rose (under direct sunlight)

Taken in the shade.

05 Les Gris and 02 Les Bleus. See a great review of Les Gris on the Beauty Look Book.

07 Les Cuirs


08 Les Perles


Of the nine quads, I liked 09 Les Noirs and 05 Les Gris, which will appeal to smoky eye lovers. 04 Les Bois de Rose looks prettier and more interesting than the brown-themed 07 Les Cuirs, but the medium rose shade may be tricky for some skin tones to pull off. 08 Les Perles has three pale, frosty shades which I think will look indistinguishable from one another when applied.

You can also view swatches of all nine quads on the fabulous Karlasugar. I neglected to swatch 06 Les Fumes, which you can read about on The Beauty Look Book. Makeup & Beauty Blog has also reviewed Les Noirs and Les Bleus, while Best Things in Beauty has reviewed Les Verts, Les Gris and Les Cuirs.

Visee x Smackyglam Collaboration

Visee will be collaborating with another Japanese fashion label, Smacky Glam for its next limited edition makeup collection to be released on 16 October in Japan. The collection includes two Glam Glow Eyes quads (1680yen) and two Glossy Nude Rouge glosses (1470yen).


The product packaging is inspired by the '60s/'70s sweet retro mood of Smacky Glam's fall collection. The ad campaign will feature model Nishiyama Maki.